Download Dictano
Free for 7 days, then $29 once. 3 MB, signed and notarized by Apple.
Download Dictano.dmgVersion 0.3.0 · Apple Silicon · macOS 13 or newer
Ready to keep it? Buy a lifetime license for $29. One payment, up to 2 Macs, no subscription. Enter the key in the menu bar.
Set up in one minute
- Open Dictano.dmg and drag Dictano to Applications.
- Launch it. A microphone icon appears in your menu bar and the speech model (547 MB) downloads once, automatically.
- Allow the Microphone permission when macOS asks.
- Enable Accessibility for Dictano in System Settings → Privacy & Security, so the text can be typed at your cursor. Skip it if you prefer paste-it-yourself via the clipboard.
- Put your cursor in any text field, press ⌥ Space, speak, press ⌥ Space again. Done.
What is in the menu bar
- Two ways to dictate: tap the hotkey to start and stop, or hold it push-to-talk style and release when you are done.
- Recent dictations: your last 10 transcriptions, one click to copy any of them back.
- Configurable hotkey: ⌥ Space by default, with ⌃ Space, ⌃⌥ Space, ⇧⌥ Space and F5 as alternatives.
- Language: auto-detect by default, or pin English, Spanish, German, Portuguese or French.
- Sounds on/off, Start at login, and Enter License Key when your trial ends.
While recording, a small floating bar shows a timer and a live audio meter, then "Transcribing…" for about a second, then your text appears. That is the entire UI. Curious how it compares with the paid apps? Read our breakdown of the best dictation software for Mac.
Download questions
Why does Dictano ask for the microphone permission? +
To hear you. It is the only way a dictation app can work. The audio is processed on your Mac and discarded after each transcription; nothing is uploaded.
Why does Dictano ask for the Accessibility permission? +
So it can type the transcribed text into the app you are using. Without it, Dictano still works: the text lands on your clipboard and you paste it yourself with Cmd+V.
Is the download safe? +
The app is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, which means Apple scanned the exact file you download. macOS verifies both automatically when you open it.
Does it work on Intel Macs? +
Not yet. The Whisper model needs Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) to transcribe at usable speed. This matches SuperWhisper and most modern dictation apps.
What happens after the trial? +
Dictano keeps working the moment you enter a license key: $29, one payment, yours forever on up to 2 Macs. No subscription, ever.